Casket illuminating apparatus



D. D. Hummm i'f* GASKET ILLUMINATING APPARATUS Fild Jan. 21, 193V nmmmmm)L 5mg Jz W/ f if M 7W v v w v "nn n n d L t D A1 /Z i Patented Nov. 7,1939 garanti" T GASKET ILLUMINATING APPARAJJTVJS Dexter D. Hulsart,Columbus, Ohio, assigner to The Columbus Coffin Company,

Columbus,

Ohio, 3 lporation of Ohio i i T T Application January 21, 1937, SerialNo. llz? `1 claim.

This invention relates to illuminating apparatus and has particularreference to the employment of concealed lighting means in conjunctionwith the lid or coverof a burial casket, the

primary object of the invention being to provide improved means forelecting such illumination in an adequate and esthetic manner in orderto illuminate the interior of the casket when the lid or cover is in anelevated position to permit a l0 body contained Within the base of thecasket to be more advantageously viewed than is possible with extraneoussystems of illumination.

` 'I'he illumination of the casket containing a body has heretoforeconstituted a problem of considerable magnitude to morticians. Relianceis usually placed on the general lighting afforded by the fixtures of aroom in which a casket is positioned. Often these Xtures are totallyinadequate and producelights and shadows wholly 20 undesiredby thosedealing with matters of this kind. Realizing these conditions, thepresent in vention provides concealed illuminating means carried by theinterior ofthe lid or cover of a casket and so disposed as to direct orreflect light 25 on the fabric lining of a casket lid and to utilize thelight so distributed to effect the general il lumination of the entire`casket and the contents thereof.

It is another object of the invention to effect 30 the illumination of acasket through the employment of gas illed tubes energized and renderedluminous by the passage therethrough of high voltage currents.

Another object of the invention resides in 35 mounting the luminoustubes so that they will extend longitudinally along a casket lidcontiguous to the outer or free edge thereof, and to shield said tubesfrom external view by a reflector or guard so that light issuing `fromthe tubes will 40 be directed downwardly and inwardly upon theornamental fabric lining `arranged Within the lid connes. T

A still further object resides in the provision of means for adjustingthe luminous light emitting tubes relative to a light `emitting apertureformed between the reflector shield and the inner lining of the casketlid.

For a further understanding of `the-invention, 50 reference is to be hadto the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casket having the lid thereof providedwith the illuminating .means comprising the present invention;

55 Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View on (ci. 24o- 2) anenlarged scale taken through the, lid and the illuminating meanstherefor;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of one of the supports for the luminoustube;

liig.` 4 isa vertical transverse sectional view 5 taken through a casketand disclosing `means for supplying current to the luminous tube ortubes of the lid.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral i designates acasket which is formed to include the usual base or body section 2 and alid or cover 3, the latter being hinged as at l to the upper edge of oneof the sides of the base or body vsection 2.

The lid or cover is of the usual convex type and is provided with-thecustomary inner panel 5 to which is secured a tufted fabric lining 6 ofan ornamental, iinish-producing appearance. The inner edges of the coverIl are each provided with an arcuate metallic molding strip l, to theexternal surface of which is secured an ornamental fabric coveringdesigned to match the lining 6. The lower portion of the strip which issecured to the outer or free edge of the lid is spaced from the liningli to provide a slot il extending substantially the full length of thelid.

Formed with the lid is a wooden or other suitable strip il which carriesadjacent its inner face a gas iilled glass tube It. The tube Iii `issupported in connection with the strip d by means of a group of invertedT-shaped, glass insulators Il, the tube being fastened to the cross barsof the insulators by wire loops i2. A metallic bracket I3 is clampedadjacent the end of the stem of each of the insulators and a tack orother securing device passes through a slotted hole it in the base ofthe bracket to secure it to the strip ll. This mounting is so arrangedas to position the tube ill adjacent the longitudinal slot d and to therear of the metallic strip 1. The 40 amount of light passing from thetube through the slot may be controlled by changing the position of thebrackets on the strip 9 to locate the tube closer to or farther awayfrom the slot.

The ends of the tube lil are closed and a lead wire' l5 extends fromeach end of the tube along the end and back edges of the cover and downinto the body section of the casket to an electric connector ill securedto the inner side of the bottom wall. An opening il is provided in thebottom wall in registration with the connector l5 to receive a plug itwhich is in turn connected by wires lil with the secondary terminal of avoltage increasing transformer Ell. `Con- T .ductors 2l connect theprimary side of theftrans- 55 former with the usual building currentsupply lines 22.

When the circuit is completed, the tube Will become luminous and rays oflight issuing therefrom will be directed through the slot between thestrip l and the lid lining. The inner surface of the metallic stripreilects the light emanating from the tube and due to the fact that thetube as Well as the slot extends substantially the full length of thelid, a uniform distribution of light is acquired which materiallyimproves the appearance o the casket.

Since the gas lled tubes operate on an eX- tremely low amperage, thelights may be kept energized for long periods of time without danger ofoverheating and creating a re hazard.

Although the tube has been shown applied to only one edge of the coversection, it is Within the invention to provide it on as many edges asmay be found desirable.

What is claimed is:

In a casket of the type provided with a hinged cover section lined Withfabric and having arcuate fabric covered molding strips. secured on theinner side adjacent to the edges thereof, a source of light carried bysaid cover section in back of at least one of said molding strips, theinner edge of the strip in front of said light source being slightlyspaced from the lining of said cover to provide a narrow slot throughwhich light rays will be directed onto the lining of the cover only.

DEXTER D. HULSART.

